Everything still to play for

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain finally wrapped up their inevitable league titles this past weekend which also saw Juventus take a big step towards retaining theirs to go with the already secured league title for Bayern Munich. Elsewhere on the continent PSV ended the title race in the Netherlands while next weekend could see champions crowned in Azerbaijan, Macedonia and Scotland with  Montenegro and Albania also on the cusp of seeing their champions crowned in the next two weeks. So this begs the questions are there any leagues still with exciting title races to keep an eye on in the next few weeks? The answer is yes and there are a few really close ones too featuring a number of contenders.

Malta

We'll start with the league that reaches it's conclusion this coming weekend. Two sides are locked level on points going into Sunday's final day with Balzan ahead of Valletta by virtue of the head-to-head record between the sides. Last weekend Valletta failed to beat ten man Floriana while Balzan secured a narrow 2-1 win over Senglea Athletic to move level on points. 

Balzan have never won the league title in Malta and up until 2015-16 had never even played a game in European competition. Their progress has been astonishing to the point where they are a win away from the biggest prize in Malta. 

Valletta on the other hand are twenty-three times champions, most recently in 2015-16, and have a long history of European football participation going back to 1963-64. 

Valletta need to better Balzan's result on Sunday, they host Gżira United while Balzan are away at defending champions Hibernians who still harbor hopes of qualifying for the Europa League. 

Armenia

In the past I've blogged about the unique but chaotic nature of the Armenian Premier league with it's makeup consisting of just six teams. However of those six teams, four are firmly in the race for the title. All four of Shirak Gyumri, Alashkert, Banants and Gandzasar Kapan are separated by three points with seven games to play.  It's not often you can say that more than half the league can still win it with so few games remaining. 

Champions for the past two seasons, Alashkert have dropped off the top in recent weeks which sees Shirak currently head the queue. Shirak themselves have only ever been champions on four occasions since independence. Of the four contenders only Gandzasar are yet to taste league glory. 

Given the size of the league there are still a few key head-to-head clashes to come in the next few weeks. 

Northern Ireland

I blogged a couple of months back about how Coleraine were looking to take the league title in Northern Ireland out of Belfast for the first time since 2002. Since that post they have remained with Crusaders and with just two rounds of games left they are level on points with the hatchetmen. The bad news for the Bannsiders is that their goal difference is significantly inferior to Cruaders', twenty-two goals to be exact so essentially it acts as an extra point for the Crues.  

Coleraine are away to Linfield at Windsor Park this coming weekend before finishing up the campaign with a trip to Mourneview Park the home of Glenavon. Crusaders meanwhile face a north Belfast derby at home to Cliftonville before a final day trip to Ballymena United. 

Cyprus

Apollon were 4-0 winners at APOEL earlier in the season
source: www.apollon.com.cy

APOEL have won every title since AEL Limassol's title victory in 2011-12 and have in total twenty-six titles to their name. However this season they are being pushed right to the finish line by Apollon Limassol. Apollon have just three league titles in total, the last being in 2005-06 where they finished the campaign unbeaten. Apollon this season were involved in the Europa league group stages and took a point away at Everton despite finishing bottom of their group, APOEL finished bottom of their champions league group this season. 

Just four rounds of games remain in the season where the lead has chopped and changed multiple times. In total five sides (APOEL, Apollon, AEK Larnaca, Anorthosis & AEL Limassol) have topped the table at some stage this season with the most recent change coming in round 28 when Apollon assumed top spot after beating Anorthosis while APOEL were held at home by AEK Larnaca. 

Currently Apollon head the table by just two points from APOEL with head-to-head being used as the first tie breaker and that is in Apollon's favour ahead of the final meeting between the sides on April 29th. 

APOEL face AEK Larnaca away, Apollon at home, AEL Limassol away and Anorthosis at home with Apollon facing Anorthosis at home, APOEL away, AEK Larnaca at home and Omonia away in the final four fixtures. Needless to say that April 29th meeting will be pivotal. 

Bosnia-Herzegovina

This is a race that will finish with very little between the two contenders. Sitting at the top of the league is Zrinjski Mostar level on points with traditional powerhouse Željezničar but ahead by virtue of their better goal difference of ONE goal.
The race up until a few weeks ago did have as many as four sides but poor form for Široki Brijeg and FK Sarajevo has seen them fall away. The most recent meeting between Zrinjski and Željezničar was filled with high drama to say the least. Željezničar were 3-0 to the good after converting an 86th minute penalty away at Zrinjski before the hosts pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks in the following six minutes. A goal on eighty-eight minutes followed by two stoppage time goals the final one being an own goal saw Zrinjski clutch onto a point in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Five rounds remain for both sides to edge themselves in front. Both sides are away this coming weekend before they do battle for the final head-to-head clash on April 28th. A game that could decide everything given that only three rounds will remain after that.

Hungary

Another league that features two sides currently level on points. Tied on fifty-five points after twenty-six games both Ferencváros and Videton have been streets ahead of everyone else this season. Debreceni who sit third are thirteen points behind so it's only really been a two horse race this season. 

The Hungarian league uses games won as the first tie breaker and of course both sides are level in that column with sixteen wins each. Goal difference is the next tie breaker and that sees Ferencváros ahead by just three. Both still have to face each other before the season is out with that head-to-head taking place on May 5th with Videoton hosting Ferencváros. In total seven rounds are still to play so lots of twists and turns no doubt to come. 

Denmark

Brøndby (yellow) will battle with Midtjylland for the title
source: http://www.indkast.dk 

FC København's disastrous start to the season opened up a major window of opportunity for someone to lay claim to the title this season. A two horse race has developed between Brøndby and FC Midtjylland with both sides level on points. Goal difference is the next tie-breaker and Brøndby top the league thanks to their superior difference being six better than Midtjylland's. Seven rounds remain of the season and it does include a head-to-head between the sides which is tomorrow (Thursday 19th).

Poland

Saving the closest and most exciting for last we have the Ekstraklasa yet again. Last season saw four sides going into the final day with a shot at lifting the title and this season is shaping up to be a similar outcome. Lech Poznań are a single point ahead of both Jagiellonia Białystok and Legia Warszawa with two further sides sitting five points behind the leaders. Six rounds of games remain and given the league has split it is full of head-to-heads in the next few weeks.
So many twists and turns await as evident last weekend when all of the top three were beaten. Lech fell at home 0-1 to Korona, Jagiellonia lost at home to Górnik Zabrze and Legia were beaten at home by Zagłębie Lublin. Sitting five points behind Lech Poznań are Górnik Zabrze and Wisła Płock who have outside chances and given the recent form of the top three it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that either side can sneak into firm contention. Definitely a league to follow in the next few weeks because it is getting crowded at the top in Poland!.